Refrigerator-car



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. B. ROBBINS & T. B. K-IRBY.

' REFRIGERATOR GAR.

No. 537,308. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. B.- ROBBINS-811T. B. KIRBY.

REFRIGERATOR GAR.

No. 537,308. Patented Apr. 9; 1895.

NIH/43.

:4 lz n'ass as v' 12 2 v an $26? UNTTED I STATES GEORGE E. ROBBINS, OFHINSEALE, AND THOMAS B. KIRBY, OF CHICAGO,

PATENT OFFICE.

ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,308, dated April 9,1895. 7

Application filed August 7, 1893- Serlal No. 482,608. (No model) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. ROBBINS, of Hinsdale, Du Page county, andTHOMAS E. KIRBY of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Refrigerator-Oars, of which the following is aspecification.

In the use of these cars the best and most satisfactory size to be givento the ice box varies with the seasons and with the freight which thecar may be used to transport. For instance, in hotter weather, and withcertain kinds of perishable freight, a larger ice space will obviouslybe required than in cooler weather and with a less perishable class offreight.. In some refrigerator cars the ice box takes up practically theentire end of the car from floor to ceiling. This is objectionable fortwo reasons, first, because it greatly diminishes the storage capacity.of the car, and, second, because the ice box thereby formed is largerthan is required in all circumstances.

The object of our invention, therefore, is to so construct the car thatwhile under normal conditions it is provided with an elevated ice box ofthe ordinary size in one or both ends of the car, thereby permittingfree space for storage beneath the ice box, it may nevertheless be sooperated as to turn practically the entire end of the car into an icebox. In other Words, we provide means whereby the size of the ice boxmay be varied at the will of those operating the car. The manner ofaccomplishing this will be more apparent from the detailed descriptionhereinafter following.

Our invention therefore consists in the features, details ofconstruction and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical, central, longitudinal sectionof one end of a car provided with our improvements, showingsuchimprovements in their normal position; Fig. 2, a detail, showing adrainage trough, and Fig. 3, a section similar to that shown in Fig. 1,but with the parts in another position.

The car A is made, except as hereinafter described, in any of the wellknown forms, and therefore requires no particular description. It isprovided with an opening B, in the roof, for the admission of ice,adaptedto be closed by a plug 0.

We may state thatthe form of ice box in connection with which ourimprovements are adapted to be used, is not important. that we mean thatthe various ports and passages for the admission and escape of air maybe constructed as desired, beingwhollyindependent of the particularfeatures for which 7 we are seeking a patent.

1D is the front of the ice box, which, in the form shown, is placed atan angle, made solid, and provided with an opening, d, for the entranceof air, which opening is shown as covered with a grating 01. anotheropening, D, at the lower end of the front of the box for the admissionor escape of air, and when in the position shown in Fig. 1, an opening Ddown which the air passes and down which the water from the melting iceflows to the usual discharge orifices.

E is the bottom of theice tank, when in the position shown in Fig. 1.This we term the main bottom. It may be made in any su-itable form, butpreferably has an inclined pan, e, to discharge the water. Usually thisbottom is made rigid, but in our invention it is connected to the frontD of the ice box, or

to any other suitable point or points, by

means of-one or more hinges E, allowing the bottom to be raised into ahorizontal position, or lowered into a vertical position, as shown inFig. 3, in which position it forms a portion'of the front of the thenenlarged ice box. In Fig. 1, the bottom E, as shown, is sup ported uponthe secondary or sub-bottom F, which is also supported upon hinges, soas to rotate in a vertical plane, or be turned up and down which isconstructed in substano tially the same manner as the bottom E, andwhich in Fig. 3 is shown in a horizontal position, into which it maybebrought if desired. A spring catch, e, is provided for the purpose ofholding the main bottom E in posi- 5 tion, while the sub-bottom is beingswung up from its horizontal to its vertical position. The bottom F ispreferably provided with a There is also shown 65 truss rod,f', for thepurpose of strengthening it. It has an inclined pan, f, corresponding tothe pan 6 of the bottom E.

At G is shown what may be termed an auxiliary top, constructedsubstantially like the others, with an inclined pan 9 supported uponhinges G, and adapted to be raised into the vertical position shown insolid lines in the drawings and forms a swinging upper back portion ofthe ice chest, or dropped down, if desired, into the position indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which position it is supported by hooks Hand forms the top of an ice chest diminished in size. Catches, h, may beprovided to hold this auxiliary top in a vertical position.

\Ve have described one form in which these various bottoms or partitionsmay be made, but we do not consider it essential that this particularform should be adhered to, so long as the substantial purposes of ourinvention are accomplished, and therefore the material and precise formof these partitions may be changed as desired.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the bottom E, beingmovable, may not fit with requisite tightness against the sides of thecar, and therefore water may escape between such sides and bottom anddrop down the side walls. To catch this water and deliver it to thedischarge outlet, we provide inclined troughs, I, indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1, and shownmore particularly in detail in Fig. 2.

The device having been constructed as above described, operates in thefollowing manner: Under what may be termed normal conditions, the partswill be in the position shown in Fig. l,with the main bottom in ahorizontal position and the sub-bottom and auxiliary bottom in verticalposition. If now, it be desired for any reason to increase the size ofthe ice chest, the sub-bottom F may be swung upon its hinges or pivotsinto ahorizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3. The main bottom may thenbe swung down into a vertical position, as also shown in Fig. 3, beingprevented from moving too far by means of cleats or strips, J, attachedto the walls of the car. In this way, an ice chest is formed whichoccupies substantiallythe entire end of the car and affords as muchspace for ice as can ever be required. When it is desired to againdiminish the size of the ice box, this can be done by restoring the mainand sub-bottoms to their normal positions, provided the ice chest issubstantially empty. If, however, the ice chest is partially full ofice, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to restore these bottomsto their original positions, and it is for this reason that we haveprovided the auxiliary bottom G. This bottom may be lowered from itsvertical to its horizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines,forming an ice chest K, occupying a position beneath the ice chest L,and thereby diminishing the size and changing the location of the icebox. \Ve therefore have, in this car, the combination of three icechests; first, the ice chest L; second, the ice chest K, and, third, theice chest made up of the entire space K, L.

While we have described more or less precise forms, it is not ourintention to limit ourselves thereto, but we contemplate all properchanges in forms, proportions and substantial equivalent'members. Forexample, it is not essential that both a sub and auxiliary bottom shouldbe found in the same car, since the auxiliary bottom G may be entirelyomitted, and similar changes may be made without departing from thespirit of our invention.

We claim--.

1. In refrigerator cars, an ice chest provided with a movable lowerfront section adapted to be moved into position to form the ice supportof an ice chest diminished in size, sub stantially as described.

2. In refrigerator cars, an ice chest having a swinging lower frontsection adapted to fold upward and form the ice support of an ice chestdiminished in size, and means for bold ing such swinging portion inposition to form the diminished ice chest, substantially as described.

3. In refrigerator cars, an ice chest provided with a movable lowerfront section adapted to be moved into position to form the ice supportof a diminished ice chest, and a movable bottom portion adapted to bemoved into position and form a support for the bottom of the diminishedice chest, substantially as described.

4. In a refrigerator car, an ice chest having a swinging lower frontsection adapted to be folded into a horizontal position and form the icesupport of an ice chest diminished in size, means for holding suchsection in its horizontal position, a swinging bottom portion normallyoccupinga horizontal plane and adapted to be swung into a verticalposition, and means for holding it in its vertical position,substantially as described.

5. In refrigerator cars, an ice chest formed of several swingingsections capable of being moved into different positions to form an icechest diminished in size, substantially as described.

6. In refrigerator cars, an ice chest having a movable lower frontsection, a movable bottom portion, and a swinging upper back portion,each of the several portions capable of being moved into differentpositions to form an ice chest diminished in size, substantially asdescribed.

GEORGE B. ROBBINS. THOMAS B. KIRBY.

Witnesses:

WALTER W. TABEMER, FRANK E. WOLCOTT.

